Mason Rudd, owner, dies at 91

Mason C. Rudd, a longtime horse owner and former member of the Kentucky Racing Commission who was widely known in his hometown of Louisville, Ky., for his philanthropy, died Sunday following a long illness. He was 91.

Rudd owned his first racehorse in 1970 and primarily employed Walter Bindner Jr. as his trainer. His best horses included the stakes winners Rare Reason, First and Only, and Magesterial Cheer.

Rudd, who made a fortune in the construction business, donated millions of dollars to the University of Louisville and many hospitals and charities throughout the area. The Rudd Heart and Lung Center at Jewish Hospital in Louisville was so named in recognition of his generosity.